Waitoa Railway Reserve

This reserve is 1.0721 hectares in size and is located on State Highway 26 in Waitoa, which is approximately eight kilometres south west of Te Aroha, between the diary factory and Waitoa Township. The reserve is bounded to the north by the Frankton-Thames Railway Line, and to the south, east and west by State Highway 26. Waitoa Railway Reserve is comprised of roadside grassed strips with a backdrop along its northern boundary of extensive screen planting, including a mixture of native and exotic trees and shrubs.  There are also picnic and rest areas on the site, which are almost exclusively used by road users. The Operative District Plan identifies Sections 26 and 27 as Reserves, with the middle part of the reserve, Lot 1, designated as Proposed Reserve (designation no. 39).  The planning zone is Rural. History Previously railway land, in 1978 Waitoa Railway Reserve (Sections 26 and 27) was declared Crown land and vested in Piako County Council.  The reserve for many years consisted of these two disjointed pieces of land.  Then in 1994 an adjoining piece of land was acquired by Matamata-Piako District Council from the Crown and added to Section 27.  This only left a small strip of land, still in Crown ownership, separating the two parts of the reserve.  In 2001, as part of a land swap (for the former Waitoa Reserve across the road), the final piece of land was added to the reserve. The large planting was completed in two stages; the Ministry of Works "Beautiful New Zealand Scheme" paid for the first stage; and Piako County Council for the second. Local farmers planted both stages, then during 1992, pupils from Waitoa School planted additional trees.